I don't know why they named this album after a hot pepper, it certainly doesn't have much of a kick to it. As far as I'm concerned, the resurgence of punk bands lost its momentum a year or two ago, which makes this more of a soggy green bean. Of the punk albums out there, though, this is one of the better ones. They avoid the monotony trap so much of punk falls into, with plenty of variety in the music and the vocals. Tempo changes, harmonies and solo vocals, different guitar tones . . . the band has matured a lot since its debut. The lyrics seemed pretty devoid of outright spiritual seasonings, but to be honest I didn't bother to read them and really see. Two or three of the songs are almost exact imitations of Rancid's solid boot-stomping punk, if you're into that sort of thing. Jalepeno will stoke any chain wallet kid out there for sure. I guess my taste buds have just become numb to the flavor.
3 tocks
